Air conditioning condensation drainage system

ABSTRACT

An air-conditioning condensate drainage system for mounting to the roof membrane of the roof structure of buildings or for construction thereof directly onto the roof membrane of a building structure. The air-conditioning condensate drainage system is defined by one or more strips of material having an isolation membrane having a bottom surface for assembly to a roof membrane. A pair of spaced ridge elements project upwardly from the isolation membrane and cooperate with the isolation membrane to define an air-conditioning condensate drainage channel. In the alternative, ridge strips may be disposed in spaced relation and fixed directly to a roof membrane to define condensate drain channels along the roof membrane to in-roof drains. The condensate drain strip or ridge strips maybe molded or extruded and maybe formed directly on and adhered to or fixed to the roof membrane to define the condensate drain channels.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED PATENT

The present invention concerns an improvement to the subject matter ofU.S. Pat. No. 6,167,717 for “Air Conditioning Condensation DrainageSystem”, which issued to William E. Dudley and C. Ross Dutton on Jan. 2,2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the compromise ordeterioration of roofing membrane materials by the condensate from airconditioning systems that are mounted on or above the roofs ofcommercial buildings that are finished with a roofing membrane that isslightly inclined or contoured, so as to direct water to drain openingsin the roof and into drain conduits. More particularly, the presentinvention concerns the provision of a roof mounted drain system forcollecting air conditioning condensate from roof-mountedair-conditioning units and conducting the condensate to a disposal drainand simultaneously isolating the roof membrane from contact by the airconditioning condensate. Even more specifically, the present inventionconcerns structure and materials for creating a plurality ofnondestructive water conducting paths over the surface of a roofingsystem, that will direct discharged air conditioning condensate fromroof mounted air conditioning units to one or more in-roof drains orgutters for disposal and will serve to isolate the roof membrane fromthe condensate.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Roofing membrane deterioration is typically caused by the presence ofpersistent air conditioning (“a/c”) condensation in localized areas on aroof surface, regardless of the roof surface membrane or construction.It has been determined through tests that a/c condensation moisture isladen with various chemical constituents and heavy metal concentration.Moreover, as water evaporation occurs and a/c condensation continues tobe added onto the roofing membrane, the concentration of chemicals andheavy metals will continuously increase thus increasing the detrimentaleffect of these materials to the roofing membrane. Particularly, a/ccondensation fluids attack the roof membrane in areas where it flows andin collection areas where it tends to collect in pools on the roofmembrane surface. It has been found that summer heat will actually turnthe water flows and pools into boiling water which will literallyoxidize the roofing membrane. Extreme cold will freeze these water flowsand pools causing fissures in the roof membrane surface. This problem iswell documented by the National Roofing Contractors Association,manufacturers of roofing materials, and other roofing industry experts.Present methods of removing the a/c condensation from the roof surfaceare not effective. The following is a brief description of the mostcommonly utilized methods for a/c condensation removal from roofingsystems.

PVC or Metal Piping:

The most common method utilized for the collecting and removal of a/ccondensation from a roofing system is to connect a form of piping to thea/c unit and to run the piping from the unit to a suitable point ofdrainage. Typically, condensate collected in the condensate collectionpan of a/c unit will exit the collection pan at a discharge opening andwill flow into a drain line through a water trap, also referred to as a“P-trap”. The P-trap is a U-shaped conduit section maintaining a waterseal between the collection pan and the drain line which functions toisolate air within the drain line from the interior of the a/c unit.Debris and algae will build up or become deposited within the P-trap aswell as the drain line and will block the flow of condensate dischargefrom the collection pan. When a/c condensate drainage piping isutilized, the different types of drainage piping will vary frompolyvinyl chloride (PVC) piping, galvanized steel piping, copper piping,and even black iron gas line piping. It has been found with condensatedrainage piping that the piping systems quickly become clogged withdebris and algae that is present within the drainage system, especiallywhen the a/c unit is situated in a humid environment. It is not unusualfor P-traps and drain lines to require service three to four times peryear to remove algae and debris blockage Obviously, when a/c drainconduits become clogged to the point that condensate water cannot flowfreely there-through, the condensate will build up within the condensatecollection pan until it flows into air flow ductwork and then seeks itsway into the building. Service personnel are then called on an emergencybasis to repair the roof sufficiently prevent leakage of water into thebuilding. At times condensate will build up within the a/c unit until itbegins to leak around the edges of the collection pan, in which case itwill flow onto the roofing membrane, causing deterioration of the roofmembrane as mentioned herein. If the a/c unit structure is partiallyrusted away adjacent the perimeter of the condensate collection pan,which is often the case, significant leakage of condensate onto theroofing membrane will occur. The condensate will then flow along theroof membrane, following the natural slope of the roof membrane and willdevelop one or more pools of condensate liquid on the roof surface. Thiscondensate liquid, because it is laden with chemicals and heavy metalsas mention above, will begin to degrade the roof membrane. As typicallyoccurs in roofing systems, having condensate drain conduits, because oftraffic, age, and constant clogging problems requiring significantmaintenance effort and expense, personnel having the responsibility forbuilding maintenance will eventually disconnect the condensate drainagepipes from the air conditioning units. This of course, will cause thea/c condensate to be discharged directly from the collection pan throughthe drain opening and onto the roof membrane surface. When the drainpiping is disconnected in this manner, it is done with the knowledgethat deterioration of the roofing membrane by the discharged a/ccondensate will eventually result and that, as a consequence, roofingrepair will be necessitated in a relatively short period of time. Theeventual result is that the disconnected a/c drainage pipes will end upas debris that is present on the roof surface. This disconnected pipingdebris obviously presents a hazard to workers engaged in roofingmaintenance and repair and can be a cause of damage to the roofingmembrane.

Internal Piping:

While commercial buildings can be provided with internal a/c drainpiping systems that extend throughout the building structure toconventional building drain lines, this internal piping method is seldomused because it is expensive and requires frequent maintenance. Internalcondensate drainage piping is a piping system that is connected with thecondensate discharge drains of the various a/c units and extends toplumbing drain lines within the confines of the building structure.Debris collected by the condensate of the a/c units will flow along withthe condensate into the drain lines and in time will clog the lines. Thealgae that builds up in all a/c drain lines also causes clogging of thelines. In a relatively short time the drain lines will be sufficientlyblocked that flow of condensate drainage will be blocked. This willcause the a/c condensate to enter duct-work and flow into the buildingstructure as mentioned above. These systems are virtually alwaysabandoned due to clogging because the drain lines, being located withinthe building structure are difficult to access and service or repair.

Surface Drainage:

Even though the presence of a/c condensate on a roof membrane is knownto cause damage to the roofing system, surface drainage is the methodthat is most often employed for condensate drainage. Since drainagesystems composed of metal or PVC pipe will become clogged andinoperative in a short period of time and are also expensive to installand maintain, it has been found most practical to allow roof surfacedrainage to occur, knowing that the roofing system will require repairat more frequent intervals. In this case, persistent a/c condensationfluids are allowed to collect in certain areas on the roof membranesurface, causing extensive and accelerated roof membrane deterioration.It is desirable therefore to provide an a/c condensate drainage systemfor flat roofed building structures which will not be subject tofrequent blockage by debris, algae and the like and yet willcontinuously exclude a/c condensate drainage fluid from the roofmembrane surface. It is also desirable to provide flat roofing systemsof building structures with a/c condensate drain systems that willefficiently drain a/c condensate fluid along the roof surface toappropriate roof drains for disposal without permitting the a/ccondensate to collect on the roof membrane.

Types of Roofing Systems:

The following types of roofing systems with roof mounted a/c units arespecifically noted as roofing systems that would benefit frominstallation of an air conditioning condensation drainage systemaccording to the present invention.

Single Ply Roofing Systems:

This type of roofing system includes all single ply systems such asethylene propylene diene monomer or ethylene propylene diene terpolymer(EPDM), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE),also referred to by its registered trademark HYPALON®, thermoplasticolefin (TPO), and/or other types of single ply roofing membranes ofchemically or heat welded seam systems.

Modified Bitumen Roofing Systems:

Modified bitumen roofing systems include all types of roofing systemsthat have a styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) or atactic polypropylene(APP) modified bitumen surface layer.

Built-Up Roofing Systems:

Built-up roofing (BUR) systems include all types of coal tar and asphaltbuilt-up roofing systems that utilize felts or other fabrics as interplysheets that represent integral components of construction.

Metal Roofing Systems:

The term “metal roofing systems” is intended to encompass standing seammetal roofing, corrugated metal roofing and any other metal roofing thatis applied in panels and having leakage preventing treatment at anypanel joints that exist. The term “metal roofing systems” is alsointended to encompass metal roofing installations having a metal roofingmembrane and having ridge members which are attached to metal roofing bymeans of cement, bonding material or the like and which simulatestanding seam metal roofing.

Other Roofing Systems:

The term “other roofing systems” is intended to encompass all othertypes of roofing systems that have a smooth surface of material ormaterials being exposed to weather and which define a roofing membranethat excludes water from the interior of a building structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a principal feature of the present invention to provide a novela/c condensate drainage system for the roofing systems of buildingswhich provides for a/c condensate drainage along the contour of thesurface of the roofing membrane and yet isolates most of the roofingmembrane from continuous exposure to the condensate fluid and thechemical and heavy metal constituents contained therein;

It is another feature of the present invention to provide a novel a/ccondensate drainage system for the roofing systems of buildings whichcan be provided in the form of one or more strip structures that areintended to be installed directly on the roof membrane surface of aroofing system to provide an open roof mounted surface drainage channelor closed drainage channel to conduct a/c condensate directly from ana/c unit to a roof mounted water drain of the roof structure;

It is an even further feature of the present invention to provide anovel a/c condensate drainage system for the roofing systems ofbuildings wherein the drainage system can be constructed of similar oridentical roof membrane materials as compared to the roof membrane orcan be of integral molded construction so that the surface mounted a/ccondensate drainage system will be of sacrificial nature, being replacedas needed to permit the basic underlying roofing membrane to have anormal or conventional service life;

It is an even feature of the present invention to provide a novel a/ccondensate drainage system for the roofing systems of buildings which isdesigned to capture air conditioning condensate and to channel thecondensate along a non-destructive path over the surface of a roofingsystem and will direct the discharge condensation from roof mounted a/cunits into an in-roof drain or gutter that is constructed from any of anumber of existing roofing materials such as bitumen, rubber, CSPE, PVC,foam, TPO, asphaltic, HYPALON®, and/or any other common or uncommonmaterials used in the roofing industry; and

It is another feature of the present invention to provide a novel a/ccondensate drainage system for the roofing systems of buildings whichincludes the use of pre-manufactured surface drainage system materialsthat are designed for installation onto a roof membrane to create a nondestructive path over the surface of a roofing system and will directthe discharge condensation from roof mounted a/c units to an in-roofdrain or gutter;

It is another feature of the present invention to provide a novel a/ccondensate drainage system having a drain channel structure that is inthe form of one or more strips of material which can be cemented, bondedor heat sealed to a conventional roofing membrane and can be molded andadhered to the roofing membrane or molded onto the roofing membrane todefine one or more drainage channels for conducting air-conditioningcondensate along a roof surface to one or more drains of the roof;

It is also a feature of the present invention to provide a novel a/ccondensate drainage system for the roofing systems of buildings which isof integral construction, being formed in any desired manner, such as bymolding or extrusion, including molding or extrusion of materials onto aroofing membrane to define air-conditioning condensate drainage channelsor collector basins. The materials may be cured in place on the roofingmembrane or bonded or cemented to the primary roofing membrane of a roofto create one or more water drain channels for draining a/c condensateor water from any other source to drain openings or gutters, whileprotecting the primary roofing membrane from accelerated deteriorationby the substantially continuous presence of water, includingair-conditioning condensate or its constituents.

It is another important feature of the present invention to provide anovel method and apparatus for installation of air-conditioningcondensate drainage systems onto roof membrane surfaces, which includeattachment of drainage channel forming materials to roof surfaces,molding of drainage; channel structures directly onto roof surfaces andextrusion of drainage channel configurations from dies directly ontoroof surfaces.

Briefly, the various objects and features of the present invention arerealized through the provision of an a/c condensate drainage systemhaving one or more strips of material that are secured in any desirablemanner to a roof membrane surface for the purpose of defining a drainagechannel along the roof surface for air-conditioning condensate emanatingfrom roof mounted air-conditioning units. an isolation wall or membranewhich is applied to a roof membrane surface by heat welding, bonding orby any other suitable means that is common to the roofing industry. Thisisolation wall or membrane can be a component of an integral orone-piece construction for an air-conditioning condensate drain elementwill be exposed to the weather and any a/c condensate that is presentand will form the bottom surface of a roof mounted drain channelstructure for conducting a/c condensate along the roof surface to anappropriate in-roof drain. One of the principal functions of thisisolation membrane is to ensure that the a/c condensate does not comeinto contact with the roofing membrane over which it flows. A pair oflateral ridge structures project upwardly from the outer edge portionsof the isolation membrane and are disposed in spaced relation so as todefine a condensate channel there between. The lateral ridge structurescan be integral with the isolation membrane, such as when integrallyformed by a molding or extrusion process, and define spacing containmentwalls which are of sufficient height to efficiently drain a/c condensatealong the drain channel without allowing it to overflow from thecondensate drainage channel and spill onto the roof membrane surface.The lateral ridge structures may be composed of multiple layers of anysuitable roofing material if desired. Alternatively, the lateral ridgestructures may be formed by certain roofing materials such as asphalticimpregnated board, for example, which is fixed to the isolation membraneand which is then overlaid by one or more layers of roofing membranematerial so that the condensate drain channel is defined largely by theupper layer of overlying roofing membrane material and the drain channeldefined thereby. The a/c drain element, if desired, maybe formed ontothe roofing membrane surface by an extrusion process which causes thea/c drain element to firmly adhere or become cemented or bonded to theroof membrane.

Under circumstances where an isolation membrane of a roofinginstallation is composed of a material that effectively resistsdeterioration by the chemical constituents of air-conditioningcondensate, air-conditioning condensate drainage channels may be definedon the isolation membrane by adhering strips of ridge material in spacedrelation onto the isolation membrane. Preferably these ridge strips willbe of generally triangular configuration, having a reasonably large basesurface for cementing or bonding to the isolation membrane and withinclined lateral surfaces converging in cross-section to a relativelynarrow apex. The ends of the ridge strips, and perhaps the entire ridgestrips will define central openings receiving joint alignment dowelsthat align abutting ends of the ridge strip material. Suitable adhesiveor bonding material will typically secure the ends of the ridge stripsin aligned abutting assembly. If desired, strips of air-conditioningcondensate drainage channel material, having a central membrane andspaced channel forming ridges may have joint configurations thatinterfit and overlap to ensure against leakage, and the ridges may haveend openings defining receptacles for ridge alignment dowels.

As a further alternative, an a/c drain channel may be formed on a roofmembrane or on a drain channel membrane layer covering a roof membrane.In this case, strips of ridge defining material can be heat sealed,cemented, bonded or otherwise secured to the roof membrane or drainchannel membrane layer and can be spaced as desired for defining a drainchannel of desired width. Strips of ridge defining material of thisnature can be applied to the roof membrane or a drain channel membranein a manner defining one or more collector junctions or receptacles thatare arranged to receive a/c condensate from two or more a/c drainchannels to minimize the amount of drain channel material that might berequired to effectively prepare a roofing system for a/c condensatedrainage.

A polymer foam material may be extruded from an extrusion machinedirectly onto a roofing membrane and may be formed to a desiredair-conditioning condensate drainage channel configuration such as bymeans of an extrusion die of the machine. Alternatively, the polymerform material emerging from an extrusion machine onto a roofing membranesurface can be rolled or otherwise formed in its uncured state, so as tocure to the desired configuration to define a drainage channel. Aftercuring, an external lining of a suitable protective material may besprayed onto or painted onto the polymer form to thus define a durableand impervious external lining for a drainage channel structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the above recited features, advantages andobjects of the present invention are attained and can be understood indetail, a more particular description of the invention, brieflysummarized above, may be had by reference to the preferred embodimentthereof which is illustrated in the appended drawings, which drawingsare incorporated as apart hereof.

It is to be noted however, that the appended drawings illustrate only atypical embodiment of this invention and are therefore not to beconsidered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to otherequally effective embodiments.

In the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric illustration of a part of an integrallyconstructed product strip representing an a/c condensate drainage systemwhich is constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention and is shown affixed to the roofing membrane of buildingstructure;

FIG. 2 is an isometric illustration of a part of an integrallyconstructed product strip representing an a/c condensate drainage systemwhich is constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention and which is molded or extruded onto a roof membrane surfaceor attached thereto in any suitable manner;

FIG. 3 is an isometric illustration of a part of a roofing system andshowing two roof mounted air-conditioning units and an air conditioningcondensate drainage system which is constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention and incorporates condensatecollector basins having condensate drainage channels leading from theair-conditioning units to a channel drainage collector disposed infeeding relation with another drainage channel;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a plate-type extrusion die forextruding an air-conditioning condensate drainage strip having theconfiguration shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a plate-type extrusion die forextruding a pair of spaced air-conditioning condensate drainage stripshaving the configuration shown in FIG. 6 and which may be extruded forlater attachment to a roof membrane or which may be directly extrudedonto a roofing membrane;

FIG. 6 is an isometric illustration showing a pair of condensatedrainage control strips that may be extruded from the die of FIG. 5 ormight be formed in any other suitable fashion for attachment to aroofing membrane or extruded directly on a roofing membrane;

FIG. 7 is an elevational illustration of a striker plate having aconfiguration for striking off excess extruded or laid foam material todefine the spaced ridge element of an air-conditioning condensatedrainage channel;

FIG. 8 is an isometric illustration of a part of a roof membrane, havingaffixed thereto two spaced strips of a/c condensate drainage ridgematerial which is constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a ridge strip construction for anair-conditioning condensate drainage channel or catch basin and havingan internal structural wall and showing a joint alignment dowel memberlocated within an opening defined in part by the internal structuralwall;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a ridge strip construction for anair-conditioning condensate drainage channel or catch basin and havingan internal passage or opening having a joint alignment dowel memberlocated therein for strip alignment at joints;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a ridge strip element being similar tothat of FIG. 9 and being adapted for condensate drainage channel orcatch basin construction on roofing installations;

FIG. 12 is an isometric illustration showing a roof structure having anair-conditioning unit mounted thereon and showing a air-conditioningcondensate drainage channel being defined by spaced ridge elementsapplied directly to the roof membrane or to a roof mounted paneldefining a portion of a drain channel; and

FIG. 13 is a plan view of joined strips of air-conditioning condensatedrainage channel material, with parts thereof broken away and shown insection and illustrating dowelled interconnection and overlapping panelsections for joint integrity and joint leakage prevention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings and first to FIG. 1, an air-conditioningcondensate drainage system constructed in accordance with the principlesof the present invention and representing the preferred embodiment isshown generally at 10 and is shown in the figure as a partial strip ofcondensate drain structure which is shown to be mounted in any suitablefashion onto the roofing membrane 12 of a building roofing system. Theair-conditioning condensate drainage system 10 comprises an isolationmembrane 14 which is typically in the form of an elongate strip ofmaterial that is compatible with the membrane material of the roofingmembrane 12. Preferably, the isolation membrane will be a component ofan integral construction composed of a polymer material such aspolyvinyl chloride (PVC) which may be layered with other suitablematerials and may be reinforced by a suitable fabric to enhance thestructural integrity thereof. The integral condensate drainage stripmaterial 11 may be manufactured by an extrusion process either being apre-manufactured strip component for attachment to a roofing membranesurface or, in the alternative, may be composed of a syntactic foammaterial which is extruded or molded directly onto the roofing membrane.The isolation membrane 14 may be constructed of identical or similarmaterial as compared with the roofing membrane and will be affixed tothe upper surface of the roofing membrane 12 by heat welding, bonding,by suitable roofing adhesive or by any other installation method ormaterials as is common to the roofing industry. The isolation membranetypically serves as the bottom membrane layer or one of the bottomlayers of the a/c condensate drainage strip or strips and functions toisolate the roofing membrane 12 from contact by a/c condensate and thechemicals and heavy metals present therein and also functions to definethe bottom wall structure of a drainage channel for conducting a/ccondensate from the condensate discharge of an a/c unit to a suitabledrain in the roofing structure. From the isolation membrane projects atleast a pair of spaced ridge defining elements 16 and 18 which arepreferably integral with the isolation membrane or web 14. Additionally,the strip material 11 and its spaced ridge defining elements 16 and 18may be composed of a heat weldable polymer material such as PVC which isheat welded to the roof membrane 12 and thus is a permanent integralcomponent of the air-conditioning condensate drainage system. The spacedridge defining elements are typically oriented in substantially parallelrelation so as to define a condensate drain channel 20 therebetween. Itshould be borne in mind however, that the spaced ridge elements 16 and18 may be oriented in angular relation to one another or oriented in anyother suitable relation to define a drainage channel of desiredconfiguration and dimension. For example, as is evident from FIG. 3hereof, the spaced ridge defining elements and the resulting ridgesdefined thereby can be oriented in diverging relation so as to define acatch basin 22 or 23 for collecting condensate being discharged by thecondensate drain openings 24 of one or more a/c units, such as is shownat 26 and 27. Typically, a catch basin 22 or 23 will be provided in theform of a pre-manufactured connector structure 23 which is affixed tothe roofing membrane and is also affixed in suitable manner to a strip11 of pre-manufactured condensate drain assembly. Alternatively, a catchbasin structure 22 or 23 can be constructed in place on the roofingmembrane so that its configuration can be suited to the a/c drain andthe roof structure of the building. For conservation of materials, asshown in FIG. 3, condensate drain channels leading from air-conditioningunits may conduct condensate to a collector basin structure showngenerally at 24 which is preferably of generally triangularconfiguration, being defined by a collector membrane 25 having edgeridges 26. The installed or pre-manufactured collector basin structure24 may be of any suitable configuration and may be used for connectionof drain channels, for defining catch basins, for connecting drainchannels with roof mounted drain fittings, etc, without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present invention. It should also be bornein mind that the spaced ridge defining elements 16 and 18 of thecondensate drainage strips or the ridges 26 of the collector basins maybe of any suitable dimension or configuration that may be consideredappropriate for defining spaced ridges having a drain channel or basintherebetween. The spaced ridge defining elements may be of substantiallytriangular or rhomboid cross-sectional configuration as shown in FIG. 1,of oval or curved cross-sectional configuration as shown in FIG. 2 ifdesired. In fact, the ridge defining elements may be of anyconfiguration or dimension for defining spaced ridges projecting asuitable height above the isolation membrane or roof membrane surface toensure that the maximum expected volume of a/c condensate and rain wateror snow melt flow will be accommodated by the cross-sectional dimensionand volumetric capacity of the drain channel. Additionally, since theroofing membranes of most commercial buildings are typically slightlysloped to enable surface drainage of the water resulting from rain,melting snow or ice to the in-roof surface drains of the roofing system,the spaced ridges of the condensate drain structure must be ofsufficient height to compensate for the slight slope of the roofingmembrane and yet provide for adequate containment of the a/c condensatethat is intended to be acquired and controlled as it is conducted to asuitable in-roof drain for ultimate disposal. As an example, it shouldbe noted that the ridge defining elements 16 and 18 may be of differingheight if desired so that one drain channel ridge will have greaterheight than the other. This will allow the air-conditioning condensatedrainage system to be mounted to a slightly sloping roof membrane in amanner accommodating its slope, and yet ensuring that the a/c condensateis adequately contained and is not permitted to spill over a ridge andonto the roofing membrane surface.

The embodiment shown generally at 30 in FIG. 2 may be of molded orextruded construction and defines a substantially planar bottom surface32 for contact with a roofing membrane surface. A pair of spacedcontoured side ridges 34 and 36 are preferably formed integrally withthe isolation membrane 38 thereof and define ridges having a curved orcontoured upper surface as shown at 35 and 37. The integral stripmaterial of the embodiment 30 of FIG. 2 may be formed by an extrusion ormolding process for later attachment as a pre-manufactured strip to theroofing membrane of a roofing installation. In the alternative, ifdesired, the integral strip of material of the embodiment may beextruded directly onto the roofing membrane, with the material thereofbeing bonded or adhered to the roofing membrane surface.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, extrusion dies are shownfor extruding one of more strips of material either to form apre-manufactured strip material for placement on the roof membrane of aroofing system or to extrude the strip material directly on the roofmembrane surface. In the case of FIG. 4, an extrusion die showngenerally at 40 is in the form of a die plate 42 having a single dieopening 44 of the configuration for forming the condensate channel stripmaterial of FIG. 1. In the case of FIG. 5, an extrusion die is showngenerally at 46 which is in the form of a plate-like die 48 having apair of extrusion openings 50 and 52 through which ridge strips, such asare shown at 54 and 56 in Fig.6_6may be extruded. The extrusion openings50 and 52 are spaced properly to define a condensate drain channel 58 ofdesired volumetric capacity therebetween. As shown in FIG. 6, the ridgestrips 54 and 56 may be heat sealed, cemented or bonded to aconventional roof membrane 60 or may be extruded directly onto the roofmembrane such as by a channel forming extrusion machine that is movedalong the roof membrane during installation of the ridge strips. Ifdesired, the extruded ridge strips may be coated with a protectivematerial that resists damage by ultraviolet rays. Also, if desired, thechannel ridge strips may be formed from a plurality of materials or aplurality of layers of material, such as conventional roofing materials,and adhered to the roof membrane by heat sealing, cementing, bonding orby any other suitable means of attachment.

The strip material forming the air-conditioning condensate drain stripor strips can be supplied in rolls so that rolls of extended length canbe shipped to end users. In the alternative, the air-conditioningcondensate drainage strip material can be cut into strips of suitablelength, i.e., ten foot lengths, twenty foot lengths, etc. and can thenbe packaged for shipment to wholesalers, retailers or end users.

It should also be born in mind that the drain structure shown in FIGS.1-6 may also be installed by constructing them directly on the roofstructure through the use of any suitable construction procedure andmaterials that are appropriate to the roofing industry.

As shown in FIG. 7, extruded or laid foam material in its uncured statemay be formed to desired configuration by a striker plate 62 havingopenings 64 and 66 that form the uncured foam material to define spacedridges, with edge 68 defining a flat surface configuration duringstriking of the foam material. After the material has been formed andcured a coating of UV protective material may be applied to the curedfoam substrate in any desirable manner.

As a further example, the air-conditioning condensate drainage system ofFIGS. 1-3 can be installed in place on the roof membrane of a roofingsystem according to the following procedure: The isolation membrane 12can be installed directly onto the roof membrane and suitably orientedto accommodate the slope of the roof membrane. The ridge definingstructures of the strip material may then be placed in suitably spacedrelation on the isolation membrane or directly on the roof membrane, sothat the roof membrane becomes a portion of the condensate drain channelstructure. The height of the ridge defining structures should besufficient to accommodate unusually low areas of the roofinginstallation that occur due to roofing tolerances.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 6 illustrate a/c condensate drainage strip materials ofmonolithic or integral construction and which may be formed byextrusion, molding or fabrication. These strip profiles maybe composedof polymer foam material PVC, Modified bitumens, Hypalons, CSPE, EPDM,and/or other suitable materials that are suitable for condensatedrainage channels on roofing systems. In each case the profiles definespaced ridges and a bottom wall to confine a/c condensate and typicallyprevent its contact with the roof membrane to which the a/c condensatedrainage system is affixed. If desired, however, ridge strips may beapplied in any suitable manner to a roof membrane surface so as to usethe membrane surface between the strips to form portions of the drainchannels. The strip materials may be composed of any of a number ofcommercially available expandable foam materials which may be formed inplace or may be pre-manufactured and then affixed to a roofing membraneby cementing, bonding or by any other suitable means. The condensatedrainage strip material may be composed of any of a number of suitablematerials having the capability for resisting damage in the presence ofthe heavy metal and chemical constituents of air-conditioningcondensate.

The isometric illustration of FIG. 8 shows an air-conditioningcondensate drainage installation shown generally at 70, having a centralmembrane 72 that may be the uppermost membrane of a roofing installationor may be an isolation membrane of the general nature shown at 14 inFIG. 1. Pre-manufactured ridge strips 74 and 76 are installed onto themembrane 72 in any suitable manner. The ridge strips 74 and 76 are eachof the general configuration that is shown in FIG. 9 and having a widebase wall 78 for attachment to the membrane and tapered side walls 80and 82 extending in upwardly converging relation from the base wall. Agenerally flat top wall 84 is integral with the side walls. Within thehollow interior of the ridge strip is located a structural wall 86 thatis shown to be of curved configuration and defines structural wall edges87 and 89 that are either joined with the base wall 78 or with the sidewalls 80 and 82 or both. The structural wall 86 provides the hollowridge strip with enhanced structural integrity and prevents itscollapse. It should be borne in mind that the internal structural wall86 may have a configuration other than the curved configuration that isshown. The curvature of the structural wall 86 and its relation with thebase wall 78 defines an internal passage region 88 that permits thelocation of a dowel 90 within the internal passage. A dowel would beused at abutting joints of the ridge strip material to align theabutting strip ends, to facilitate connection of the ends of abuttingstrips and to provide the strip ends and the resulting joint withenhanced structural integrity. The dowel will extend into the passagesof abutting ridge strips and permit the abutting ends of the ridgestrips to be joined by cement or bonding material or to be heat weldedor otherwise secured.

Another ridge strip embodiment is shown in FIG. 10 and comprises a stripbody 92 of generally triangular configuration, which defines a ratherwide or broad base surface 94 that is adapted for being cemented, bondedor heat welded to a roof membrane or a drainage channel membrane. Theridge strip 92 defines inclined, upwardly converging side surfaces 93and 95 which merge with a ridge top surface 97 which can be of arcuatecross-sectional configuration as shown or may be of substantially planarconfiguration, essentially as shown in FIG. 9. The ridge strip may becomposed of any suitable polymer material or any of a number ofacceptable roofing materials, such as indicated above. The ridge strip92 defines a central passage 96 which receives a dowel member 98 in thesame general manner as described in connection with FIG. 9. The dowelbridges the joint of abutting ridge strips, maintains alignment of theabutting ends of the ridge strips and enhances the capability of theridge strips to be attached to one another to form a secure joint. Thestrip body structure may also be designed with opposed lateral ribelements 99 and 101 which provide a strengthening function for the stripas well as establishing an aesthetic appearance of the strip, when it isinstalled on a roofing membrane or on an isolation membrane to define acondensate drain channel.

In some cases the tolerances of roofing installations cause the slope ofthe roofing membrane to be uneven so that a roof surface conditionexists that causes water “pooling” on the roofing membrane. When thesepooling areas of a roof are traversed by the condensate drainage stripsor panels of the present invention, water pooling within a drainagechannel can occur. It is appropriate in such case, therefore, to providecondensate drainage channel installations having drainage channel ridgesof greater height so that pooling condensate will not overflow thedrainage channels and spill onto the roofing membrane of the roofinginstallation. As shown in FIG. 11, a ridge strip shown generally at 75is of extruded construction, having base flanges 77 and 79 to enable theridge strip to be affixed to any suitable surface. As shown, the baseflanges 77 and 79 may be cemented, heat welded or bonded to a substrate81, which may be the bottom panel of a drainage channel strip or asection of a roofing membrane. Angulated side walls 83 and 85 areintegral with the base flanges and extend upwardly therefrom and aredisposed in upwardly converging relation with one another. The angulatedside walls 83 and 85 merge smoothly with a curved upper wall structure87 having an upwardly facing convex surface. The base flanges, angulatedside walls and the curved upper wall structure cooperatively define aninternal space 89. An intermediate structural wall 91 is locatedintermediate the internal space 89 and is arranged with its oppositeside edges 93 and 95 integrally connected intermediate the upper andlower edges of the respective angulated sidewalls. The intermediatestructural wall 91 is of curved configuration and is oriented with itsconvex surface facing upwardly. This curved configuration of theintermediate structural wall 91 provides the ridge strip withconsiderable structural integrity and permits it to be of substantialheight, to contain condensate as well as rainwater, snow melt, etc. onroofing areas that are subject to pooling. For example, the height ofthe curved upper wall 87 above the substrate 81 can be in the order ofone inch or greater, if desired, and yet the ridge strip will haveexcellent characteristics of structural integrity. The ridge stripconstruction may be composed of any of a number of polymer materials,conventional roofing materials as desired, without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 12, the ridge strip material of FIGS. 8-10 can be usedto define air-conditioning condensate drainage channels extending from aroof mounted air-conditioning unit 100 to a roof drain opening 102. Theridge strip material can be arranged to define a catch basin 104 whichreceives all leaked condensate from the air-conditioning unit. The ridgestrip material can be attached to the roof membrane 106 so as to definea drain channel 108, with the spaced ridges confining the condensate tothe drain channel and ensuring that no lateral leakage occurs as thecondensate is conducted to the drain opening of the roof.

As shown in FIG. 13, pre-manufactured condensate drain channel stripsshown at 110 and 112 can be constructed so as to establish aninterfitting joint shown generally at 114. In this case, thepre-manufactured drain channel strips each have side ridge elements 116and 118 that are of tubular configuration or define dowel receptacles120 and 122 at the ends, receiving dowel members 124 and 126. The dowelmembers achieve alignment of the ends of the ridge members, enhance thestructural integrity of the ridge members at the joint and simplify theattachment of the abutting ridge members. A portion 128 of the centralpanel 130 of the strip material 110 extends beyond the ends of the ridgemembers and overlaps the end 132 of the opposite air-conditioningcondensate drainage strip 112. The panel portion 128 is fixed to thecentral panel 134 of the strip material 112, such as by cementing,bonding, heat sealing or the like and prevents leakage of the centralpanels at the joint 114.

In view of the foregoing it is evident that the present invention is onewell adapted to attain all of the objects and features hereinabove setforth, together with other objects and features which are inherent inthe apparatus disclosed herein.

As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the presentinvention may easily be produced in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The presentembodiment is, therefore, to be considered as merely illustrative andnot restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by theclaims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which comewithin the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims are thereforeintended to be embraced therein.

1. (canceled)
 2. (canceled)
 3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. (canceled) 6.A method for manufacturing an air-conditioning condensate drainagesystem for the roof structure of buildings, comprising: placing at leastone elongate drain channel strip onto a roof membrane, said elongatedrain channel strip being of integral construction and having anisolation membrane and having a pair of spaced ridge elements beingintegral therewith and defining an air-conditioning condensate drainagechannel therebetween; and fixing said elongate drain channel strip tosaid roof membrane.
 7. The method of claim 6, comprising: said fixingstep being heat welding said elongate drain channel strip to said roofmembrane; and during said heat welding step, applying mechanicalpressure to said elongate drain channel strip for enhancing said heatwelding thereof to said roof membrane.
 8. The method of claim 6,comprising: said fixing step being forming said elongate drain channelstrip directly on and in heat welded relation with said roof membrane.9. The method of claim 8, comprising: during said fixing step, extrudingsaid elongate drain channel strip from an extrusion die directly on andin heat welded relation with said roof membrane.
 10. The method of claim6,9comprising: forming a pair of ridge strips on a roof membrane; andheat welding said pair of ridge strips to said roof membrane.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, comprising: applying mechanical pressure to saidpair of ridge strips for enhancing heat welding thereof to said roofmembrane.
 12. (canceled)
 13. (canceled)
 14. (canceled)
 15. (canceled)16. A method for installing an air-conditioning condensate drainagesystem for application to a roof membrane of a roof structure ofbuildings, comprising: mixing a quantity of polymer foam material;applying said polymer foam material to a roofing membrane; and formingsaid polymer foam material to define an air-conditioning drain channelhaving spaced ridge members and defining a liquid drain channel betweensaid spaced ridge members.
 17. The method of claim 16, comprising: aftercuring of said polymer foam material, applying a coating of protectivematerial to said air-conditioning drain channel.
 18. The method of claim16, wherein said step of applying said polymer foam material to saidroofing membrane comprising: extruding said polymer foam materialthrough a die plate having at least one die opening of a configurationdefining at least a portion of said air-conditioning drain channel; anddepositing the extruded polymer foam material onto said roofingmembrane.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of applying saidpolymer foam material to said roofing membrane comprising: depositingsaid polymer foam material onto said roofing membrane; with said polymerfoam material in its uncured state, forming said polymer foam materialto a desired configuration to define an air-conditioning condensatedrain channel structure; and after said forming of said polymer foammaterial, permitting curing of said of said polymer foam material onsaid roofing membrane.
 20. The method of claim 19, comprising: saidforming of said polymer foam material being extrusion of said polymerfoam material through a die plate onto said roofing membrane.
 21. Themethod of claim 19, comprising: said forming of said polymer foammaterial being moving a striker plate along said polymer foam material,said striker plate being configured to conform said polymer foammaterial to desired configuration for defining an air-conditioningcondensate drain channel structure.
 22. (canceled)
 23. Anair-conditioning condensate drain channel structure comprising: a stripof substantially solid material having a mounting base surface having agenerally triangular cross-sectional configuration, having opposedangulated side surfaces extending upwardly from said base surface andbeing disposed in upwardly converging relation and merging with a ridgetop surface; at least one elongate ridge member projecting upwardly fromsaid mounting base surface and having upwardly converging side surfacesand an upper surface intersecting said side surfaces; said strip ofmaterial being of hollow construction defining an interior space andhaving a base wall and angulated side walls protecting upwardly fromsaid base wall and being disposed in upwardly converging relation withone another, said strip of material having a strip top wall beingintegral with each of said side walls; an intermediate structural wallbeing located within said interior space and having spaced bottom edgesbeing in integral connection with at least said base wall, saidintermediate structural wall providing said at least one strip ofmaterial with enhanced structural integrity; and said at least one stripof material being substantially solid and having a generally triangularcross-sectional configuration, having opposed angulated side surfacesextending upwardly from said base surface and being disposed in upwardlyconverging relation and merging with a ridge top surface.
 24. Theair-conditioning condensate drain channel structure of 23, comprising:said strip of material being of hollow construction defining an interiorspace and having a base wall and angulated side walls projectingupwardly from said base wall and being disposed in upwardly convergingrelation with one another, said at least one strip of material having astrip top wall being integral with each of said side walls; and anintermediate structural wall being located within said interior spaceand having spaced bottom edges being in integral connection with atleast said base wall, said intermediate structural wall providing saidat least one strip of material with enhanced structural integrity. 25.The air-conditioning condensate drain channel structure of claim 24,comprising: a dowel receptacle being defined between said intermediatestructural wall and said base wall for receiving a dowel at a jointbetween abutting ridge strips for alignment of ridge strip ends forfacilitating connection of abutting ridge strip ends and for enhancingthe structural integrity of abutting connected ridge strips.
 26. Theair-conditioning condensate drain channel structure of claim 23,comprising: said at least one strip of material being a pair of stripsof material each defining at least one elongate ridge; and said pair ofelongate strips of material being mounted to a roofing membrane anddisposed in spaced relation to define an air-conditioning condensatedrain channel therebetween.
 27. The air-conditioning condensate drainchannel structure of claim 23, comprising: said at least one strip ofmaterial having a central panel defining side edges and defining a pairof elongate ridge members each being located at a respective one of saidside edges and defining an air-conditioning condensate drain channeltherebetween; and said at least one strip of material being adapted formounted to a roofing membrane.
 28. The air-conditioning condensate drainchannel structure of claim 27, comprising: said elongate ridges havingends defining dowel receptacles; dowel elements being received withdowel receptacles of abutting elongate ridges for alignment of said endsof abutting ridges, for facilitating connection of said ends of abuttingridges and for enhancing the structural integrity of a joint defined bysaid ends of abutting ridges.
 29. The air-conditioning condensate drainchannel structure of claim 28, comprising: a second strip of materialbeing adapted for end to end connection with said at least one strip ofmaterial and having an extended central panel section being disposed foroverlapping relation with a portion of said central panel of said atleast one strip of material to prevent leakage at said joint. 30.(canceled)